All throughout the 90s, there was a constant debate on which Britpop band, Oasis or Blur, was the superior. While Oasis released hit singles like “Live Forever,” “Slide Away,” and most importantly, “Wonderwall.” Blur displayed their indie twist on songs such as “Girls & Boys,” “For Tomorrow,” and the stadium rocker, “Song 2.” It can be argued that it was a tie between the two millennial bands, but after the release of Blur’s “The Magic Whip,” the band’s eighth studio album, Blur may very well be taking the lead.
Recorded in Hong Kongs’ Avon Studios, “The Magic Whip” is the first Blur album since 2003s “Think Tank.” That’s a long time for a band to be on hiatus, but the members have stayed busy.
While guitarist Graham Coxon has been successful with his solo work, Damon Albarn has seen even more success, being the maestro of Gorillaz and releasing his first solo album “Everyday Robots” just last spring. The 12-year hibernation was a lengthy one, but after listening to “The Magic Whip,” it’s as if they never disbanded in the first place.
Right from the get go, “The Magic Whip” gets you out of your seat playing air guitar.
“Lonesome Street,” the album’s third single, is one of the most 90s-sounding songs since, well, the 90s. “Lonesome Street” is an immediate refreshment to anyone longing for the days of Blur’s earlier work from “Modern Life is Rubbish” or “Parklife,” the band’s second and third albums, respectively, as Coxon aggressively pumps out thick punches of guitar and subtle hints of synth sprinkle throughout the upbeat tune, which add the same bit of flavor that made Blur the powerhouse they were in the 90s.
Skipping to the album’s fourth track, “Ice Cream Man” which contains subtle nuances of electronic bursts bubbling all throughout while “I Broadcast” adds more pinches of wiggly electronic tones to “The Magic Whip,” soon transforming into a driving-to-the-beach-with-the-windows-down type of tune as Albarn asks, “The apparitions of another prodigal night, right?”
Later comes “My Terracotta Heart,” which sounds similar to Albarn’s solo work. The song is an open letter to Graham Coxon, detailing the hardship that came along when the band initially began growing apart. “Seemed like a breath of fresh air back in the summertime, When we were more like brothers, that was years ago,” Albarn’s somber monotone voice sings in the dark, melancholy balad. “The Magic Whip” is a blast from the past. While listening to Blur’s long awaited eighth record, it was hard to not envision a 1995 version of myself driving an old Toyota Corolla on my way back home from college for the summer.
While songs like “New World Towers” or ”Pyongyang” aren’t quite as memorable as “Lonesome Street” or “Ice Cream Man,” they are still solid tunes that will undoubtedly please the diehard Blur fans. Whether you are a new listener or not, there is something here for you. “The Magic Whip” expresses a variety of different moods: sad, happy, excited, relaxed, they’re all here and it’s an adventure going through all of them.
My rating: 8/10
